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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271063">Books</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelica_writes/pseuds/Angelica_writes'>Angelica_writes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Imagines [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Band of Brothers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Airborne, All Quiet on the Western Front - Freeform, Anna Karenina - Freeform, Canon Era, Coffee, F/M, Hospital, Letters, Nurse - Freeform, Post War, Post canon, SOLDIER - Freeform, The Grapes of Wrath - Freeform, WWII, book group - Freeform, just two goofs bonding over books, leo tolstoy - Freeform, of human bondage, paratrooper, prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:48:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,834</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelica_writes/pseuds/Angelica_writes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You're a nurse at the hospital David is sent to after being injured, and you bond over your shared love of literature.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>David Kenyon Webster/Reader, David Kenyon Webster/You, David Webster/Reader, David Webster/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Imagines [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hospital</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work was written based off the following request - 'Hey! Could I request Webster fic? Maybe the reader is a nurse at the hospital he’s in? Thank you' combined with the following prompt - 'David Webster + “Where did you even find that” + coffee’</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your head was leant against the cool brick of the hospital, as you lifted the cigarette to your mouth, glad of the brief respite from gaping wounds and men sobbing over lost limbs. Just as you were enjoying the silence, a truck pulled up, and orderlies exited the door next to you, moving across the lawn to help unload the wounded. One soldier in particular caught your eye. The first thing you noticed was his chiselled jawline, which was littered in days-old stubble, something that looked unattractive on most men, and yet this new arrival still managed to look so god-like. His lips looked heavenly, he clearly applied Vaseline liberally as they were so soft looking compared to the usual hardened lips that soldiers usually sported. His mouth hung open slightly as he concentrated on getting himself off the van, refusing the hand of an orderly who tried to help him down. His eyes met yours for a brief moment, making you blush furiously, and allowing you to see his sapphire eyes; eyes that seemed to convey multitudes of knowledge and understanding.</p>
<p>Little did you realise that Webster had taken similar notice of you too. Your gaze fixed upon him caught his attention, and he made sure to study you just as thoroughly, although much more subtly.  His heart swelled and he grew more nervous with every passing moment he felt your gaze on him, resolving to try to make your acquaintance at some point during his stay.</p>
<p>///</p>
<p>Webster didn’t have to contrive to make your acquaintance, as the morning after his arrival you came to his bedside, placing a steaming mug of coffee on his tiny bedside table.</p>
<p>“Coffee’s up,” you said, praying he’d kickstart a proper conversation as you’d used up all your courage to get this far. You hoped Webster would assume that you were merely carrying out part of your nursing duties, when in actuality it was the job of the orderlies to serve coffee and you were on your mid-morning break.</p>
<p>“Thank you ma’am,” Webster stretched over for the coffee mug, internally cursing himself for how quiet his reply had sounded, he should show himself to be full of confidence to impress such a beautiful nurse. You couldn’t help but chuckle at his politeness and formality, so rare among your patients; but instantly felt guilty for doing so upon seeing his cheeks heat up.</p>
<p>“Y/N will do just fine, although probably best to go with Nurse Y/L/N when matron and the doctors are around,” you replied, straightening his blankets, and flashing him a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>“I’m David, uh David Webster,” he replied, stumbling a little over his words. The normally articulate man found himself unable to speak properly in your presence. “Um, are there any books here?”</p>
<p>“Sure, most of the men swap books and magazines between them, but I have some I can lend you if you’d like,” you tensed, wondering if you’d overstepped, offering to lend a perfect stranger your personal possessions.</p>
<p>“I’d love that, what kind of books do you read?” David asked, sipping his coffee.</p>
<p>“Anything really, I just finished Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. I have a few Dickens, some poetry books, what would you like to borrow?”</p>
<p>“Anna Karenina suits me if you’re sure it’s no problem?” David grinned, it was the first time you’d seen him smile. If you weren’t blown away by his looks before, you sure were now. Those beautiful blue eyes lit up, transporting you into a world of fantasy about those eyes gazing into yours over a breakfast table in your marital home; and his little dimples made your heart flutter.</p>
<p>“Of course not!” you replied, and the two of you awkwardly lapsed into deep conversation about literature.</p>
<p>///</p>
<p>Every day for the entirety of his stay you’d spend every second of your breaks sitting on the rickety chair next to Webster’s bed or, later on during his convalescence, on deckchairs in the grounds of the hospital. You’d talk mostly about literature, but also about your childhoods and what you missed about home; and he told you about Easy Company. Each conversation you had, each smile he flashed at you, each gentle squeeze he gave your hand, saw your feelings for David deepen. By the time he was discharged to go back to the front, you knew you were hopelessly in love with him.</p>
<p>On the day of his discharge, you wandered over to his bed during your morning break, as usual. What was different this time was that you had applied a little lipstick, given to you by another nurse. Although you’d seen no sign from Webster that he liked you in a romantic way, you couldn’t help but harbour a secret and burning hope that your feelings were, at least in part, reciprocated.</p>
<p>“Hi Y/N,” he said, more softly than usual. He held out your battered paperback copy of Of Human Bondage, your hand brushing his as you took the book from him. “Thank you, I really enjoyed this one.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, David,” you held out another book for him. David’s eyebrows went up in surprise, not expecting you to give him a book to take with him. And this was no tattered paperback like your others, it was a pristine hardback. “I remembered how much you said you wanted to read All Quiet on the Western Front, so I thought I’d give you this to take with you,” you explained. David took the book from you, flicking through.</p>
<p>“First edition! Where did you even find that?” Excitement lit up his face and you delighted in the glow of his warm smile.</p>
<p>“My father, he fought in the Great War. He brought the book when it first came out. He used to read it a lot, but he always kept it so neat. He always quoted the passage where it says, ‘they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere: they are the voices of my comrade’. He always kept in touch with his brothers in arms. When he died it came to me. Just, ah,” you trailed off, nerves getting the better of you.</p>
<p>“I’ll make sure I get it back to you safely, Y/N,” at that moment a shout went out for the men leaving that day to board the trucks. Before you could process what was happening, David was leaning towards you, his lips meeting yours in an all-too brief kiss. “Can I write to you?” he asked, slightly breathless.</p>
<p>“You’d better,” you replied, watching him leave with tears in your eyes, hoping he’d come back to you in one piece.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>David kept his promise. He wrote to you frequently, telling you about his friends in Easy, about Liebgott, Landsberg, and the gleaming lakes of Austria. You kept every single letter, keeping them tied in the ribbon you were wearing in your hair the day you first saw him. Every time you wrote back to him, the love you held for him flowed onto the pages, seeping into every word like water through the cracks in the pavement. Really, the love you held for each other would’ve been obvious to anybody reading the letters exchanged between you. Obvious to anybody except you and David. </p><p>When he came back to the States, something changed in the tone of his letters. He didn’t seem so willing to share anything and everything that happened to him, and you assumed it was just his way of settling back into civilian life after being a soldier for so long. But, over time, the letters grew shorter and more infrequent, the blank spaces between the lines saying so much more than the ink ever could. The less time you spent reading and writing letters to David, the more time you seemed to spend thinking about him. His smile was imprinted on your brain, the gentle curve of his full lips that was his signature shy smile. </p><p>Even after a year and a half, the mere thought of those baby blues still made your head spin and your knees weak. You found your mind on them yet again as you walked as fast as your legs would carry you to the book group that you were worried you were going to be late for. Thankfully you arrived in time, but all anxiety surrounding your punctuality vanished the moment your eyes landed on David Webster. </p><p>Your breath hitched as you saw the one person you so longed to see, and yet never expected to again. Somehow David was even more attractive than you remembered him, if that were even possible. Your eyes wandered to his lips, and you noted that he still used Vaseline. They seemed to glimmer as if enticing you, daring you to do what you wanted and kiss him then and there in front of everyone. </p><p>With considerable mental effort, you tore your eyes away. You felt afraid to look into his eyes, knowing they’d hypnotise you all over again, making it even more painful for you to say goodbye once more. </p><p>David smiled slightly, you were still just as unsubtle in the way you were looking at him as the first day you met him. His eyes searched for your gaze, but you stubbornly refused to look into them. He wondered what that meant, were you angry with him for the growing adequacy of his letters? Or trying to play hard to get? You’d already got him alright, he knew he was yours the day you leant him Anna Karenina. David smiled wider, lost in the memory. He brought himself back to reality as you were shown a chair. </p><p>Next to him. </p><p>Keep calm, David, keep calm, he said to himself over and over again. The scent of your perfume wafted to him, filling his nostrils, and intoxicating him. David wondered for a moment if you were merely a figment of his imagination. You seemed even more perfect than he’d remembered, and it just didn’t seem possible that a woman so perfect could exist. </p><p>“The Grapes of Wrath is powerful in the way it deals…” words floated toward you but you were unable to take any of it in, so focused on staying calm in such close proximity to the man you loved. Your breath hitched in your throat. Deep down, you’d known that you were head over heels in love with David, but you’d never once admitted it to yourself. Until now. </p><p>You put your hands on the sides of the chair, forcing yourself to stop fidgeting with your slightly trembling fingers. Your eyes widened in surprise as you felt something gently brush your pinkie finger, looking down to see David’s hand next to yours. You’d dreamed of being able to touch David again and now it was happening you just froze. </p><p>David was unsure where his burst of confidence came from, but he wrapped his hand around yours. He was never one for religion, generally regarding it with contempt, but now he was more than willing to pray that you wouldn’t pull your hand away. Forced to hide his delight when you made no move to pull your hand away, he settled his gaze on his lap, and you could see a shy smile dancing on his lips when you dared to look at him. He looked up at you, and you found himself looking into his eyes for the first time since he’d kissed you all that time ago. They still sparkled like the ocean, reeling you in. </p><p>“Anything to add, Y/N?” a voice addressed you and you were pulled from your trance, scrambling around for something to say. </p><p>“I, uh, I have to go,” you stood, grabbing your bag, saying the first excuse that came into your head. “I have a doctor’s appointment.” </p><p>“At this hour?” </p><p>“Yes,” your monosyllabic response carried more venom than you meant it to, and you hurried out before you could embarrass yourself further. You walked down the street as fast as your feet could carry you, ignoring the heavy footsteps behind you. Suddenly you were spun around, finding yourself face to face with David. His lips were so close to yours, how easy it would be to just close the gap and kiss him. The only thing that stopped you was the overwhelming fear of rejection. </p><p>“Weren’t you even going to speak to me before you left?” he asked you, hurt in his voice and sorrow in his eyes. David brought his hand to your cheek, and you tilted your head towards his touch, closing your eyes and savouring the moment. </p><p>“I didn’t know what to say,” David scoffed upon hearing your words and you felt small under his withering gaze. You reluctantly pulled his hand from your cheek and tried to walk away, but David stood in front of you before you had the chance. </p><p>“Y/N, it’s been a year and a half. Surely you have something to say,” his eyes looked pleading now, like a puppy begging for just one more treat. </p><p>“Please, David, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” your voice was barely above a whisper, and he only just managed to hear you over the noise of the traffic. You felt tears pricking at the corners of your eyes and willed them not to roll down your cheeks and make you look a fool. </p><p>“Make what harder?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed. He allowed himself to dare to dream for a moment that you meant what he had hoped to be true. </p><p>“Saying goodbye again…” your voice cracked and you couldn't continue. You moved your gaze to the ground, embarrassed as you felt hot tears rolling down your cheeks. Pulling you gently towards him by your waist, David used his other hand to angle your chin towards him, wiping away your tears with the pad of his thumb. Looking into his eyes, you could see that he too was on the verge of tears. </p><p>“Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina ‘If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content’. Well, I’ve been looking for someone, anyone half as perfect as you, and I’ve certainly not been content.” Hearing David’s words, your tears stopped falling, the tide stemmed by the hope that swelled in your heart. </p><p>“What do you mean, David?” </p><p>“I mean that I love you. I have always loved you. It’s been eighteen months since I last saw you, but not a day has gone by where you haven’t filled my mind,” David trailed off, and you could feel his hands shaking slightly as you took them in your own. </p><p>“But, I thought… your letters became so disinterested,” you were still confused, but you felt so deliriously happy. The words you’d dreamt of hearing for so long had finally been spoken. You couldn’t help the grin that covered your face, which put David at ease. </p><p>“It was hard, coming back. And I thought, I felt that you deserved someone better. Someone who won’t have to live with the weight of the war for the rest of his life,” David bit his lip, and you couldn’t wait any longer. You leaned up and brought your lips to his, your hands still intertwined. The last and only kiss you’d shared had been brief, barely more than a peck. This kiss was different. You pressed your body against his, your hands finding their way to his thick locks, enjoying the softness of his lips against your own. Very reluctantly you pulled away, conscious that you were still in the middle of the street. </p><p>“I love you too,” you whispered, your face still just millimeters from David’s, and his arms still wrapped around your waist. You watched as his beautiful eyes lit up, and this time you weren’t scared to let yourself get lost in their sparkling beauty. You’d seen David smile countless times before, not just during his stay at the hospital, but everyday as your mind played through reels of your memories of him; but the smile that now played on his lips was different to any you’d seen him exhibit before. Normally his smiles were small, to the casual observer half hearted, even though you knew they were sincere. But this smile not only showed off his dimples like that first smile he’d given you back at the hospital, but it was the smile of a man who for the first time had his entire future standing right in front of him. </p><p>“I can fulfil my promise now,” he whispered as he pulled you closer, pulling you into a tight hug and nuzzling his head into your neck. </p><p>“What promise?” </p><p>“To give you back your copy of All Quiet on the Western Front,” he murmured, twisting placing a chaste kiss to your clothed collarbone. You chuckled and reluctantly withdrew from his arms, pushing David playfully when he pouted. </p><p>He enveloped your hand in his and the two of you quite literally walked off into the sunset together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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